DEATH OF A UNICORN
Starring: Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, Téa Leoni, Richard E. Grant, and Anthony Carrigan
Director: Alex Scharfman
NICK
Death of a Unicorn should be a lot more fun than it is. Aside from the entertaining cast (Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Richard E. Grant, Will Poulter), the writing isn't particularly clever nor does the story feel unique. At its core, this is another "eat the rich" movie, yet it never explores that message beyond surface level. Neither the violence or mayhem really hit because they're often utilized in visually dark scenes that take away the impact of the revenge. There was plenty of opportunity within this story, but the only impressive thing it truly accomplishes is making Paul Rudd unlikable.
ADRIANO
Yet another eat-the-rich satire, at least Death of a Unicorn has a funny concept. It's too bad it does nothing with it, though. The movie is almost entirely devoid of laughs, with the only exception coming from Will Poulter's delivery. Not even Paul Rudd's reliably lovable doofus schtick lands here. Admittedly, there's something there with the father-daughter storyline, but they don't develop it enough. Writer/director Alex Scharfman puts too much attention on the bare-bones commentary and less on the film's comedy and monster movie elements, making the film not nearly as fun as it should be.
AMARÚ
Death Of A Unicorn has all the makings of a quirky time spent with a perfect ensemble to pull off the weird, and Richard E. Grant and Will Poulter, in particular, do a fabulous job filling their archetypal characters. However, the film never truly commits to any one idea, moving on to the next thing before giving the current horror or comedic set piece time to breathe. Every individual scene has plenty of fun elements, especially everything involving Anthony Carrigan, but the shallow pacing stunts any cohesiveness the story or characters try to develop, resulting in a lot of lost potential.
PAIGE
Death of a Unicorn is merely another typical eat-the-rich movie, despite being a quirky and amusing, blood-soaked mythical tale. Although the film has some fun and compelling moments, its formulaic plot dilutes much of its ideas. Nevertheless, the ensemble seemed to be having a blast with what they were given, particularly Will Poulter, who ate up every scene he’s in. Sadly, however, Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd were unable to establish a strong father-daughter dynamic. All in all, while slightly lackluster, Unicorn is still quite enjoyable and bloody entertaining.
BRYAN
Oh, look at that! We have another eat-the-rich satire in Alex Scharfman’s directorial debut Death of a Unicorn. While the fantastical element is a fascinating approach to the subgenre, the promise fades away early on when you realize what you're getting yourself into. It would've been refreshing had the film focused on one singular tone, instead of jarringly swifting from comedy to horror. Had it embraced the corniness, maybe this would have been a winner for me. Thankfully, the ensemble helped keep the film somewhat afloat, with Will Poulter hamming it up from start-to-finish. Serviceable, yet disappointing, A24.
